Folding table



March 1, 1932. R. E. KENNEDY 1,847,344

FOLDING TABLE Filed April 18, 1930 Patented Mar. 1, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT [OFFICE ROBERT E. KENNEDY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRUNSWICK-BALKE- COLLENDER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE FOLDING TABLE Application filed April. 18,

My invention relates to collapsible tables and has a special relation to foldable legs therefor.

One object of my invention is to provide an especially simple and durable means for releasably retaining in position a brace or strut for a leg pivoted on a table top.

Another object of my invention is to provide an especially rigid and inexpensive cross brace for securing together a pair of legs pivoted to a table top.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a table embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2; I r

Fig. 4 is a view showing adjacent portions of the cross brace, which are illustrated as spaced slightly apart in order to bring out more clearly the shape of the recesses there- 1n;

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing a girder in perspective;

Fig. 6 is an end view of a girder showing the adjacent portion of the table frame broken away; and I Fi 7 is a sectional view through a girder.

Although my invention may be embodied in collapsible tables of various types its preferred embodiment is in a toy billiard table as illustrated in the drawings.

The illustrated table comprises a frame or set of rails 1, to which a bed 2 is secured by suitable securing devices, such as tacks. 3. At one end of the table a pair of legs 4 and 5 are provided, and legs are provided at the other end of the table which aresimilar in construction to legs 4 and 5 and cooperate with similar parts.

The leg 1 is pivoted on a bracket 6 secured to the frame 1 and has a recess 7 therein in which the end of a cross brace 8 is fitted. A securing member such as a nail 10 may be used to retain the end of the cross brace in the recess. The other end of the cross brace is secured in a similar manner to the leg 5 which 1930. Serial No. 445,355.

of the cross braces is cut awayat 12 to pro-' vide sulficient room to receive the other cross brace, so that the two cross braces may lie in the same or adjacent planes. The two cross braces may be secured together at their point of intersection by a retaining member such as a nail 13. The cross braces have an interlockingrelationship which prevents either from moving relative to the other in a vertical plane. The legs 1 and 5 are therefore held rigid with respect to each other. 1

Extending transversely and underlying the bed and frame are a plurality of metallic girders each of. which comprises a channel portion 14, which may be in the shape of a V, and a pair of flat portions 15 extending longitudinally of the channel portion and secured by means of suitable retaining devices, such as tacks 16, to the bed 2 and the frame 1. At each end of the girder the channel portion is reduced in cross section to provide a small opening 17 releasably receiving the laterally directed end 18 of a bracket 20, which is pivoted at its other end to a leg of the table.

The brackets 20 securely retain the legs in position to support the bed and frame and the girders serve the dual function of reinforcing the bed 2 and releasa'bly retaining the braces 20. When the braces 20 are detached from the girder the legs may be folded into a position wherein they lie along the bed of the table as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. From the foregoing description it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have provided a collapsible table construction which is extremely simple and yet at the same time strong and durable.

My invention is not limited to the embodiment of the invention illustrated and described but it is contemplated that divers templated Within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claiinas new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. In a collapsible table, the combination of a frame, a bed secured thereto, a leg, pivoted on said frame, a girder extending underneath and secured to said bed and said frame for reinforcing said bed and having an opening in the end thereof, and a brace pivoted on said leg and having a laterally directed end removably received in said opening for securing said leg in position to support said frame and said bed. I

2. In a collapsible table, the combination of a frame, a bed secured thereto, a pair of spacedlegs pivoted on said, frame for movement about a common axis, a girder extende ing underneath and secured to said bed and said frame forreinforcing-said bed and having an, opening in each end, a pair of braces,

one for each leg, pivotally secured thereto and. havlng a laterally dlrected end removably positioned in one of said openings, and

means forrigidly securing said legs together.

3. In a collapsible table, a bed, legs pivotally mounted with respect to the bed, a channel shaped girder extending under and reinforcing-the bed, and brackets on the-legs, the ends of the brackets removably cooperating with the ends of the channel in the girder.

In Witness whereof I hereunto sub-scribe my name.

ROBERT E. KENN'EDYI 

